Attorneys Representing Dog Attack Victims Across Texas

This website is maintained by the Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a Dallas, Texas law firm representing people across Texas for dog bite injury cases. We have attempted to provide useful information for those harmed by animal attacks.

Posts Tagged ‘Associated Press’

Wednesday, August 9th, 2017

White pit bull (Photo: Labeled for resuse)

On Tuesday, August 1, 2017, 20-month-old Paris Adams was mauled to death by two family pit bulls. Deputies received a call in Hart County, Georgia, at about 3:15 p.m. In the backyard of his home, the boy had been viciously attacked. According to Scott Boleman, Deputy Coroner, the toddler was transported to an emergency care center, where he went and pronounced the child dead.

The pit bulls lived indoors in the same home with Adams. The dogs were observed for a few days before being put down, according to Sheriff Mike Cleveland of Hart County.

Within a matter of hours after the deadly pit bull mauling, Adams’ 70-year-old grandmother was charged with several felonies: involuntary manslaughter; second-degree cruelty to a child; and second-degree murder. The Hartwell Police Department had previously cited the grandmother multiple times for maintaining disorderly animals.

On the day of the incident, a report on the investigation of the pit bull fatality shows that the grandmother had been outside with Adams. When she went to go back inside her home, the two pit bulls ran past her, knocking her down, and attacked the 20-month-old. The grandmother attempted to stop the attack and finally managed to put the pit bulls in the house. She allegedly transported the boy first to pick up his mother and then took him to an urgent care facility.

Further research shows that dogs belonging to the grandmother had a history of being a menace in the area.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation into Adams’ death. News is awaited on whether the mother will also be charged. Also, it is speculated that the grandmother’s decision not to call 9-1-1 but to pick up the child’s mother before going to a medical facility may play into charges against her. Adams was deceased when he arrived at the urgent care center.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017

Pit bull (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A pit bull that a family in Lusby, Maryland, raised from the time he was a puppy fatally attacked the family’s 8-month-old baby boy on Thursday, March 23, 2017. Police were called to the scene and arrived almost immediately, at approximately 1 p.m. A family friend had been babysitting the child when the fatal pit bull attack occurred “out of the blue.” She called the police after an unsuccessful attempt to rescue the infant. The dog was still attacking the baby when police arrived. They shot the pit bull, to stop the horrific attack. The baby was pronounced dead at the scene. The family friend suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital.

Officials said the entire community is in a state of shock. The devastated family had the dog for approximately 7 years. They said the pit bull had no history of aggression.

Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans addressed the community and said the baby had been around the pit bull all of his life.

Tom Hejl, Calvert County Commissioners’ President, has indicated since the attack that he supports breed-specific pit bull restrictions. He also expressed hope that legislators in Congress will give consideration to pit bull legislation.

The nature of the attack was quite shocking, since the pit bull didn’t just bite the infant. Without warning, he attacked and continued attacking until being shot and killed.

Since 2005, there have been four fatal pit bull attacks in Maryland. See this continuing series for information about failed actions taken in Maryland to restrict the breed. The title will be “A Family Pit Bull Kills an Infant in a Sudden Attack.”

Wednesday, March 1st, 2017

Valentine Herrera was savagely attacked by two pit bulls on February 2, 2017, and he died from the injuries on February 28. The fatal pit bull attack occurred in Los Angeles, California, as the victim was taking his dog, a Pomeranian, for a walk at about 6 p.m. The two pit bulls ran upon them and first attacked the man’s pet, reportedly tearing and shredding the small dog. As Herrera tried to intervene, the pit bulls turned on him. They knocked him to the ground and tore into him relentlessly, according to witnesses. After being rushed to a nearby hospital, he underwent brain surgery and received other treatment for his injuries.

Neighbors reported that the same two pit bulls killed another neighbor’s dog four days before the attack on Herrera. Stephanie Grezelle said she and her children witnessed the pit bulls mauling their pet to death. She rushed their pet to a veterinarian, but the damage was too extensive and the dog died.

There is no report yet on the fate of the dogs or on whether or not the dogs’ owner could face charges related to the fatality.

This was the second fatal pit bull attack this year. The first victim was 6-year-old Logan Braatz of Fulton County, GA. The child was walking to a school bus stop in the midst of a group of children when the two dogs attacked him and a 5-year-old girl, Syrai Sanders. Although Syrai survived, her entire scalp was removed from her skull during the attack. She faces multiple plastic surgeries. The dog owner in this case was arrested and has been charged with two counts of misdemeanor reckless conduct.

A look at fatal pit bull attacks in recent years provides convincing proof that pit bulls are too dangerous to exist in society without strict regulations that hold owners strictly to account, in the event someone is injured or killed.

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017

In January 5, 2017, news out of Des Moines, Iowa, a day care provider has been charged with two counts of child endangerment with bodily injury as a result of a November 2016 incident in which twins in her care were attacked by her pit bull terrier. She was arrested and later released on bail from the Polk County Jail.

Authorities say that after the two children were attacked by the pit bull, the babysitter did not seek medical attention for them and did not inform parents or police of the injuries. Both children suffered cuts, multiple lacerations, skin separation, and bleeding in the attack. The twins also both suffered infections from their wounds, which were treated only after their parents picked them up from the day care and immediately took them to a nearby hospital.

This was not the first time the dog attacked a child. In May of 2016, a 7-year-old child was also bitten by the pit bull. Police say that the dog was classified as a high-risk animal for both behavior and breed at that time. The dog was released back to the owner after the pit bull attack, however. A sergeant with Des Moines Police Animal Control, James Butler, said the dog owner signed a document indicating her awareness that the pit bull was a high risk animal, after the May incident. Butler said animal control has yet to decide if the dog will be considered dangerous to the community, rather than merely a high risk animal, as a result of the latest attack.

The fact that the dog previously bit a child and then the owner was allowed to continue exposing the animal to children doesn’t seem right. Dog laws are far too lenient, exposing children and others to dangerous animals with consequences to owners that don’t motivate them to protect others. This is true in Texas, same as in Iowa.

Wednesday, December 14th, 2016

On December 2, 2016, 6-year-old Isaiah Jacob Franklin of Huntington, West Virginia, was fatally attacked by a pit bull in his home. The 3-year-old male pit bull suddenly attacked the child as the boy was playing a video game in a room with two adults. Isaiah’s mother was in the next room when the unprovoked attack occurred. According to family members, the child was bitten in the back of his neck or head. Isaiah was quickly transported to a nearby hospital, where he died hours later.

When the emergency response team arrived to the home, the male dog was still behaving aggressively. A female pit bull in the home was not involved in the attack. Both dogs were taken into the custody of animal control officers. Detectives from both Child Protective Services and the Family Crimes Unit also went to the scene on the night of the attack. An investigation is underway, and no charges have been filed as yet.

Isaiah became the 21st person in the U.S. to be killed by a pit bull in 2016. Last year, 82% of all dog attack fatalities were caused by pit bulls, with a total of 28 deaths. The breed is a clear danger to owners as well as strangers. In this most recent death, the attacking pit bull had lived in the home for a year. The nine others killed by a family pit bull this year include a 9-year-old boy in Linda, California; a 36-year-old woman in Hartford, North Carolina; an 86-year-old woman in Charlotte, North Carolina; a 66-year-old woman in Leesburg, Florida; a 52-year-old woman in Dallas, Texas; a 45-year-old man in St. Louis County, Missouri; a 3-day-old girl in Fresno, California; a 71-year-old woman in Detroit Michigan; a 30-year-old woman in Screven County, Georgia; and a 60-year-old woman in Conifer, Colorado.

Ownership of a pit bull clearly puts family members at risk, when you know the statistics. Perhaps more widespread awareness of the danger of pit bulls could save lives.

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016

On Sunday, October 9, 2016, in Denton, Texas, three boys were viciously attacked by neighborhood dogs. The terrifying incident occurred close to the intersection of Montecito Drive and Settlement Drive. One of the boys said the aggressive dog surprised him as he was walking to a friend’s house, who is a neighbor. He said that dog just jumped on him and bit his leg. He was shocked by what happened and said he was shaking and didn’t realize he was bleeding. Another boy who was attacked by one of the dogs climbed on top of a car to escape but still suffered minor bites on his ankle. A third boy suffered minor scratches from the dogs, which were described as rottweiler mixes.

Jason Stein, a neighbor, said he called 9-1-1 when the dog attacks occurred. He referred to what happened as a “war zone.” He also said the dogs belong to his neighbor across the street. During an initial investigation, the dog owners didn’t answer the door but an inspection was done of the backyard, and there were places in the fence where the dogs could escape.

Stein was very upset to see a child bleeding and to hear children screaming from the attack. He doesn’t think the dogs should be allowed in the neighborhood. Several neighbors agreed, saying they think it’s wrong for people in the neighborhood to walk on the streets in fear because of someone’s dogs.

The boys’ parents were advised by the Denton Police that they can choose to file a dangerous dog report. An investigation would follow and then possibly a hearing. If the dogs are deemed dangerous, the owners would be required to take specific steps within a certain time period in order to keep them. Requirements include purchasing a $100,000 liability policy and preventing the dogs from being able to get loose.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area has a continuing problem with loose dogs attacking people and this incident is further proof that a lot more needs to be done to protect citizens from vicious dogs.

Wednesday, August 24th, 2016

Daddy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On August 17, 2016, 9-year-old Derion Stevenson was fatally attacked by a pit bull in Las Vegas, Nevada. The child was visiting a friend and was in the yard when the friend’s pit bull exited the house and immediately launched an attack on his face and neck. The boy suffered life-threatening injuries and was quickly transported to a local hospital, where he died.

The dog responsible for the child’s death was involved in a dog fight in July, according to authorities. A neighbor said the pit bull attacked her Labrador on July 11, and her dog was seriously injured. Authorities said the injuries were not substantial enough to warrant a declaration that the dog was vicious or dangerous. Since Derion’s death, the pit bull has been euthanized.

So far this year, pit bulls have killed 18 people in the U.S.. Many instances were similar to this tragedy in that people have been killed when visiting a friend. Michelle Wilcox, age 30, was savagely killed by her boyfriend’s pit bull. Susie Kirby died at 3 days old when she was attacked by an uncle’s pit bull mixes. Earl Stephens Jr., age 43, was killed by a friend’s pit bull. These are a just a few. Many more have been killed by the family pit bull or pit bulls belonging to family members.

Nevada authorities said that of 196 dogs involved in dog-on-dog attacks this year in Clark County, only 5 (2.5%) were designated as dangerous. None was declared vicious. With 191 dog owners facing no substantial consequences for instances when their pets attacked another dog, the public has reason to be concerned that dog owner’s rights are favored over victims.

Between the danger of pit bulls as a breed and the general lack of action when certain types of attacks occur, which is true of many Texas jurisdictions, dogs are often a genuine threat.

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2016

Español: Pit Bull Terrier Americano Hembra. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Monday night, August 1, 30-year-old Michelle Wilcox was brutally mauled to death by her boyfriend’s pit bull. The fatal dog attack occurred on Jenkins Lane in Screven County, Georgia. Wilcox went to the house after she got off work. Later, her boyfriend arrived home and discovered the horrific scene. The victim was already deceased, and police were called to the scene at about 6 p.m. Authorities said the pit bull’s owner immediately put down the dog responsible for his girlfriend’s death.

Mike Kile, Sheriff of Screven County, made a statement about the tragic fatality. He said no one will ever know what happened. The dog was raised in the home from the time he was a puppy.

Investigators found no evidence that the pit bull that attacked had a history of aggression or viciousness. Other dogs were also in the home, and none of them were known to be dangerous, either.

Apparently, the law enforcement officials involved in the case are unfamiliar with recent pit bull statistics. Within the past few years, there has been an alarming escalation of the number of deaths caused by the breed. In 2015, 28 people were killed by pit bulls or pit bull mixes. So far this year, pit bulls have killed 16 people in the U.S. The victims of fatal pit bull attacks are frequently the owners of the dogs that kill them.

One recent and tragic death involved a family pit bull attacking the throat of a 71-year-old, who died as a result of her jugular vein being severed. The dog belonged to the woman’s daughter. The attack wasn’t a first. In the years prior to her death, the woman was brutally attacked in the face by another pit bull belonging to the same family member.

It seems that people in the U.S. are refusing to acknowledge the danger of pit bulls, and it continues to cost lives. Learn more in this continuing series.

Wednesday, July 20th, 2016

In separate incidents, two people in the U.S. have been killed by pit bulls in July 2016. Elizabeth Rivera, age 71, of Detroit, Michigan, was killed by her own pit bull on July 16. Police said that about 8 pm that night, her dog knocked her down, bit into her neck, and severed her jugular vein, which resulted in her death. Three other dogs were on the scene, and all four were seized by authorities. Three-year-old Kayden Colter Begay was northeast of Flagstaff, Arizona, visiting grandparents on the Navajo Nation Reservation when she was attacked and killed by a pack of 12 pit bulls belonging to family neighbors. Authorities have been busy trying to round up all dogs involved.

Patterns involving dog attacks have been identified in both of these tragic deaths. A few years ago, Rivera was a victim of a pit bull attack. The dog, which belonged to a family member, attacked her face. Rivera had to go through extensive surgeries as a result. The family member who owned the dog involved in that first attack expressed shock because they never thought such a thing could happen again.

DogsBite.org pointed out, in the story of Begay, that Kayden is the third victim of a fatal dog attacks on that same Navajo reservation since 2010. Eight-year-old Tomas Jay Henio was killed by a pack of up to nine dogs in December 2012. In December 2010, 56-year-old Larry Armstrong was killed by a pack of dogs near Gallup. Nationwide since 2010, there have been another seven fatal dog attacks on reservations.

There have been 15 people killed by pit bulls since January 1, 2016, which comes to one person in the U.S. killed by a pit bull every 13.2 days. Statistics overwhelmingly show that pit bulls are more dangerous than other breeds, just as it also appears there is a disproportionate number of dog bite fatalities that occur on reservations.

Friday, July 1st, 2016

Fourteen people have been killed by a pit bull in the U.S. this year, which comes to one fatality every 13 days. Last year there were 28 deaths caused by pit bulls, which reflects the same frequency for fatal pit bull attacks. This pattern has been going on for at least 18 months. Prior to that, pit bulls consistently caused more than 65% of all dog attack fatalities. That figure was even more sinister last year, when the breed was responsible for 82% of dog-related deaths.

There doesn’t seem to be much evidence that the public is waking up to the dangers of pit bulls to the extent that legislators are widely being pressured to change dog laws. There isn’t a city in Texas that bans pit bulls, though one city, Garland, restricts pit bull ownership.

Denver, Colorado, is a city that has famously and successfully maintained a pit bull ban, in spite of enthusiastic opposition from pit bull advocates. Any time a city of any size attempts to find safety from these dangerous animals, advocates for the breed apply pressure from all over the U.S. It is often more than a police department or animal services office can handle, when a united front overwhelms them with phone calls and all other types of communication.

The real curiosity is how pit bulls can still be seen as safe when their owners are the victims in about half of all fatal attacks. The deceased owners never believed it would happen. Pit bulls are dangerous and unpredictable.

See Part 1 of this continuing series. In the next segment, learn what makes pit bulls more dangerous than other breeds, as far as the way they attack.